Sri Lanka Lost

by Jayantha Gnanakone

Rohan Gunaratna's article ( 'Sri Lanka will remain a paradise- LOST,' Asian Tribune, June 3, 2006) about the EU decision is totally misleading and inaccurate. His conclusions are nothing but wishful thinking of the Singhalese and the West. However, it is an ideal analysis for the readership of the Asia Tribune.

Until they realize what the real problem is, the war and bloodshed will go on for another 23 years or more. Sri Lanka as a nation and Island will become one the worst failed states in the world. It is just a matter of time.

1. The ban is mainly for the US/EU, and possibly India to benefit from the strategic resources and assets of the N-E - mainly Oil, Gas, Mineral Sands, Ports and Airports, including the Palk Strait/SSCP, and the island's strategic location in the Indian Ocean.

2. The LTTE has never been, nor ever will be, a terrorist organization or a threat to the other nations except for Sri Lanka. Even the Rajiv Gandhi incident -even if it the LTTE was responsible, is related to an internal matter of 10,000 Indian troops raping and killing in the N-E.

3. It is naive to think that the EU's decision is bringing the Tamils to the negotiating table in Norway. (It is strange that Rajapakse and his extremists have not even a murmur of protest about the location being Norway, or the facilitators being from Norway, or the SLMM from Scandinavia. Not a hum about WHITE TIGERS from the Singhala extremist like Gunaratna, Mahindapala, Kohanna, Dhanapala, Kotakadeniya or Godage.

4. The EU decision has woken up the sleeping and complacent Tamil diaspora. The Singhalese and the IC cannot steal money from the Tamil doaspora. The 1 million Tamil diaspora will support the Tamil liberation struggle in whatever legal means from all 190 countries and within Sri Lanka. Any amount of bans will not prevent or stifle their support for the Tamil cause. The sooner the Singhalese realize that, the better for the 17 million Singhalese in the Island.

5. Soon the amount of Foreign Aid, Investment, Soft Loans, Credit Facillities, etc. will be reduced, and Insurance costs and financing costs will increase.

6. Tourism and FDI will drop. If the 1 million Tamils decide on a boycott of all things Sri Lankan, this would have a serious monetary repercussion and consequences. It might even cost the country 10 million dollars a month in goods and services, including exports and Sri Lankan Airlines.

Tourists are not visiting Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Rwanda or East Timor. So why should they visit Sri Lanka? The Indian stock market has been performing very well for many years, with the Indian currency appreciating, unlike the Sri Lankan rupee which is depreciating by 10 per cent per year. Why should foreigners invest in the Colombo Stock Exchange? Already the big Sri Lankan blue chip companies are investing in Maldives, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and East Africa and generating employment and revenues there - Aitken Spence, John Keels, Hayleys, Carsons, Hemas, Malibans, Euro Lanka, amd many more publicly quoted companies.

The Singhala extremist can enjoy the bitter fruits of the EU decision, and 'Mahinda Chintana.

7. A return to war would cause the loss of lives, high defense expenses, injuries to both armed forces and Sinhalese civilians, as well as the Tamils. The medical expenses will also increase 100 fold, with unwarranted loss of life, limbs and property.

8. Most of the IC is not going to be fooled by the Singhalese. They very well know that LTTE is not a terrorist organization. At a recent congressional hearing Donald Camp from the State Department was defending his position when a congressional member compared Prabhaharan with George Washigton. So the discussions and debates in the US Congress have already begun. The State Department are now talking about discussions with the LTTE with some conditions placed on their future activity.

So it is only a matter of time, my friends, and the LTTE will be fighting the Singhala enemy on the land, sea and air of the North East. The whole Island has become their battlefield, at the time and place they choose, in the next 23 months or years.

Rajapakse and his extremist supporters must come up with a Federal solution (not a Unitary), and unconditional and irrevocable sharing power (not devolution), as well as disarming all quisling groups.

The IC now has to walk the walk, since they have finished talking the talk. They will act firmly with the GOSL, as they do not like to be fooled all the time that the President is a 'woman of peace' (like Chandrika) or a 'man of peace' like Rajapakse, who is prepared to 'walk that extra mile.'. Vanni is a long way, and he better tie his white sarong and start walking. The whole world is watching.

The IC also has guranteed the safety of the Tamils in Colombo and Trincomalee. Now that they have a 'hands on' policy, the whole world will hold them accountable for the safety of the Tamils from Singhala racist mobs, or Air Force pilots bombing innocent civillians and their homes, as well as their places of worship.

Such pilots are personally responsible for their war crimes, as are Navy captains shelling innocent civillians. This is international and humanitarian law, my friends, since no Singhalese has been ever prosecuted to the murder amd mayhem of July 1983 or the several high profile cold blooded murders recently. The international community has demanded that the GOSL act, and we all will be watching for future actions and the extra mile the Singhalese will be called upon to walk.

9. Take a good look at Assistant Secretary Boucher's statement in Colombo, as most of the racist reporters have mislead the Singhalese and the whole world.
Boucher has admitted that Tamils have legitimate grievances, and the GOSL needs to provide an immediate Federal solution. He has accepted that Tamils have an homeland, are entitiled to one, and should have self-government. He also has said that your favorite Tamil group needs to be disarmed and as does that other quisling group, the EPDP. (Immaterial if they are even members of the Rajapakse cabinet).

Rajapakse's lies are not going to continue to work forever. 6 months is too long, and implementation of the CFA is a must, as far as Fishing, Farming, vacating homes, and disarming are concerned. Wait till the GOSL goes around with the begging bowl, for aid, as despite the good Tea and Rubber prices, Oil prices at US$75 per barrel is killing the economy. Their defense bill will go through the ceiling for 2006-2007 as the armed forces are panicking and purchasing anything and everything. 25 year old Coast Guard "Cutters" cannot protect anything, including the Galle Face.

As for the LTTE and the Tamils, they never promised anything to anybody, except Eelam or something very close to it.

We are not dependent on Foreign Aid. Receiving 20 per cent aid to the NE does not mean the Tamils received any of that aid. Most of that went to the Muslims, and Singalese and the GOSL infrastructure in the NorthEast. Tamils did not get even 6 % of the aid to the entire NorthEast Province.

Neither the Tamils nor the LTTE have guaranteed the safety, security, comfort or safe passage of the Singhala occupying forces. They will monitor the GOSL and the international community to deliver what they have promised, in action. Until then, Sri Lanka will remain a paradise- LOST.

The Singhalese editors who write "venemous" editorials fuelling the fire of hatred, will reap the bitter fruits of such writings for their fellowmen and women. Maybe they should read the success stories, of Singapore-Malaysia, Hongkong, Dubai, and many tiny countries like Switzerland and Norway. Singhalese are trying to make Sri Lanka a Biafra.

Prabhakaran is no Colonel Ojuku or Karuna or Mahattaya. Tamils rights, aspirations, and expectations in the NorthEast cannot be dictated by career diplomats from the ivory towers of Washington or New York, who do not comprend the actual problem.

Strangely, US officials are learning quickly, and even Mr.Boucher has admitted publicly, that Tamil aspirations has to be recognized and achieved. For the US and Europeans, Ho Chi Minh and Chou En Lai, and General Giap were also terrorists 3 decades. Against an armed enemy, violence is a necessity, and history will prove itself correct. Nelson Mandela did not give up or agree to give up violence as he spent 27 years in a white jail, and US and Europeans turned a blind eye on the black leader while he rotted in jail.

Donald Camp, Richard Boucher and others in the State Department and the EU/UK are familiar with President Thomas Jefferson's statement on the Tree of Liberty made 230 years ago:"What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time,With the Blood of Patriots and Tyrants."

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